Conserving Biodiversity in Brigalow Regrowth - School of ...

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Brigalow Landscapes The Brigalow Belt is an important region nationally for its agricultural production and for its rich diversity of native fauna and flora. For most of the 20th century, the focus of government was the agricultural development of the region. More recently, as the Australian community has become more aware of environmental problems, this focus has shifted to finding a more sustainable balance between conservation and production. Brigalow remnant vegetation is now protected in Queensland and New South Wales and listed as nationally threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. However, this alone is unlikely to ensure the long-term viability of native bird, reptile and mammal populations, many of which are in serious decline. To sustain our native flora and fauna it is important to think of whole landscapes, rather than just individual patches or even species. Landscapes are best observed from a light plane or helicopter and are made up of the mix of remnant and regrowth woodland patches, paddocks of crops and pastures and farm dams. Many brigalow landscapes have less than 10% native vegetation remaining, with patches often occurring as narrow linear strips left along fencelines and roadsides. Nevertheless, brigalow landscapes have one important advantage: retention of naturally regenerating or regrowth vegetation that occurs in formerly cleared areas is a lowcost and highly efficient way to restore habitat. Although not all regrowth is protected (except under some provisions in Queensland and Commonwealth legislation), landholders are increasingly interested in its potential to contribute to farm income through: a) its value as a carbon sink, and b) the delivery of ecological services for which stewardship payments are made. To successfully manage brigalow landscapes for conservation as well as production, we need to understand how the region’s fauna are affected by how humans influence the landscape. This booklet answers a set of the most important questions on how to manage brigalow vegetation for conserving and restoring wildlife in the region, including: 1. How much vegetation is enough? 2. What are the priority areas to restore? 3. How important are linear patches? 4. How important is connectivity among patches? 5. How important is regrowth of different ages and how can we manage it for biodiversity? 6. What management actions would help to increase the diversity of animal species and their abundance? 6 * See page 26 for a quick reference guide with practical answers to these questions.
CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY IN BRIGALOW LANDSCAPES History: Transforming the Brigalow Brigalow is an aboriginal name adopted by white settlers who pushed north and inland from the Hunter Valley in the 1830s and 1840s. One of the first references to brigalow was in Ludwig Leichhardt’s journal of his expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, published in 1847: “After having past the great plains of the Condamine, between Coxcens[uncertain?] Station, Fimba and Rupells Stations we entered into a country, which was alternately covered with fine open forestland, well grassed and fit for cattle and horses breeding – and with long stretches of almost impassable Bricklow scrub, so called from the Bricklow (a species of acacia) being one of the principal components. Open Myalscrub was frequent, particularly along the Condamine. Though the Bricklow scrubs were frequently of great length and breadth, I do not think that they ever form uninterrupted lines of more than 20–30 miles so that they allways allow to be skirted. The frequency of these scrubs however would render the establishment of stations unadviseable, as they not only allow a secure retreat to hostile blackfellows, but to wild cattle.” – (Report of the Expedition of L. Leichhardt Esq. From Moreton Bay to Port Essington) Early settlement The early European settlers of the Darling Downs faced a multitude of challenges in transforming the land. During the 1860s and 70s, as people initially attempted to clear forests for pasture and agriculture, they cursed the dense brigalow woodlands that defied the axe, fencing them off as waste country. They quickly realised the ability of brigalow to reappear as dense sucker regrowth, which was even more difficult to remove. A series of droughts affected much of eastern Australia from the 1880s through to 1902 culminating in the Federation drought of 1901–02, when up to 90% of livestock on some properties died and livestock numbers halved in the southern Brigalow Belt. During these difficult times, many settlers of brigalow country abandoned their land and moved to towns to find work. 7
Page 2 and 3: PARTNERS CONTRIBUTORS Associate Pro
Page 4 and 5: Foreword Times change. In 1960 when
Page 8 and 9: Between the Wars After WWI, develop
Page 10 and 11: threats to brigalow Although the br
Page 12 and 13: Scales of Habitat Management Managi
Page 14 and 15: How much vegetation? The main reaso
Page 16 and 17: Managing dense Brigalow regrowth: T
Page 18 and 19: Key habitat features What are the m
Page 20 and 21: Iconic species and their habitat WI
Page 22 and 23: limbs and under loose bark on old t
Page 24 and 25: LIST OF VERTEBRATE SPECIES recorded
Page 26 and 27: QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE 1. How much v

Conserving Biodiversity in Brigalow Regrowth - School of ...

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